Apple this week announced a new lower-cost Apple Pencil compatible with all iPad models equipped with a USB-C port. It launches in early November and will be sold alongside the original Apple Pencil and the second-generation Apple Pencil.
Key Facts About the New Apple Pencil
It has a similar design as the Apple Pencil 2, but with a USB-C port hidden under a sliding cap for charging and pairing over a USB-C cable.
It is compatible with all iPad models equipped with a USB-C port.
It attaches magnetically to compatible iPads, including the tenth-generation iPad, but it does not support wireless charging or wireless pairing.
Unlike the Apple Pencil 2, the new model lacks pressure sensitivity on an iPad screen, a double-tap gesture for switching between drawing tools, and the option for personal engraving at the time of purchase.
It supports the Apple Pencil hover feature when used with the latest iPad Pro models, released in October 2022.
It weighs roughly the same as the Apple Pencil 2, but it is around 7% shorter.
In the U.S., it costs $79 for the general public and $69 for students. This is cheaper than the first two generations of the Apple Pencil, which remain available for $99 and $129, respectively.
It launches in early November. Apple has not provided a specific release date.
Tuesday January 13, 2026 6:11 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple today introduced a new Apple Creator Studio bundle that offers access to six creative apps, as well as exclusive AI features and content, as part of a single subscription. In the U.S., pricing is set at $12.99 per month or $129 per year.
Here are the six apps included with an Apple Creator Studio subscription:Final Cut Pro on the Mac and iPad
Logic Pro on the Mac and iPad
Pixelmator...
Wednesday January 14, 2026 10:18 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Verizon is experiencing a major outage across the U.S. today, with hundreds of thousands of customers reporting issues with the network on the website Downdetector. There are also complaints across Reddit and other social media platforms.
iPhone users and others with Verizon service are generally unable to make phone calls, send text messages, or use data over 5G or LTE due to the outage....
Wednesday January 14, 2026 7:09 am PST by Joe Rossignol
While the iPhone 18 Pro models are still around eight months away, a leaker has shared some alleged details about the devices.
In a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo this week, the account Digital Chat Station said the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max will have the same 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch display sizes as the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max.
Consistent with previous...
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Apple today seeded the second beta of iOS 26.3, nearly a month after the first beta. So far, the update includes a couple of new features for iPhones.
iOS 15.3 through iOS 18.3 were all released in late January over the years, so it is thereby likely that iOS 26.3 will be released towards the end of this month as well. The update is compatible with the iPhone 11 series and newer.
Below,...
Tuesday January 13, 2026 11:29 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple today released a firmware update for the AirPods Pro 3. The latest firmware has a version number of 8B34, up from the previous version 8B30.
Apple has a support document for AirPods firmware updates, and it indicates that the 8B34 update contains unspecified "bug fixes and other improvements."
No other AirPods models received firmware updates today.
How to install AirPods Pro...
1. Unnecessary 2. Confusing 3. Vista edition of the Apple Pencil 4. Whats the point really? No pun 5. Really, another one? 6. Its a pencil for G** sakes! 7. If this what you call innovation, I'm concerned. 8. Back to the drawing board please.
For what this does I think it's objectively a poor value. While you can't, to my knowledge, get knockoffs of the full-featured second-generation Pencil with magnetic charging, you can get magnetic styluses for $25 that are functionally equivalent to this one, but with much better battery life per charge.
